Similar aircraft tow vehicles without a draw tongue and for towing or moving aircraft in airports have been known since the 1980s. They are now also used for such operations as push-back, towing maneuvers in aircraft-building hangars and halls, and even as towing vehicles for towing over longer distances in airports.
The aircraft towing vehicles without draw tongues designed by various manufacturers have also now proved to be successful for use in domestic and foreign airports. One disadvantage of these vehicles can be considered to be the fact that the airports or airline companies usually have to purchase two types of aircraft towing vehicles for towing aircraft, because a single type of towing vehicle is unable to handle all types of aircraft. This can be attributed to the differences in the designs of the nose wheel landing gears of the aircraft.
The aircraft towing vehicles which are designed for moving aircraft at higher speeds even over longer distances are relatively bulky and expensive. The cost is correspondingly high, so that such aircraft towing vehicles become uneconomical if they are used exclusively for push-back operation.